1
: very dry
2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web His legacy is akin to a cloth that’s been wrung bone-dry. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2023 From his bone-dry wit to the energy drinks and Dr Peppers littering his work space to a proclivity for buffets, Carlton’s presence in press boxes and sports sections was unmistakable. Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 26 Apr. 2023 With wetness all around, at least one team this March has intentionally kept its postgame celebrations bone-dry. Andrew Keh, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023 Like few places in the country, the state has had to reckon with the danger of weather whiplash — bone-dry conditions in the summer followed by pounding rain, deadly floods and dozens of feet of snow. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023 Audiences pay their money for a bone-dry swim in an ocean of digital projections and swirly images from famous paintings accustomed to being still. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2023 My dad remembers a teenage Jay, mop of curly brown hair and a bone-dry sense of humor, bodybuilding on dirt roads, with a rope harness strapped to his body, pulling an old Jeep like a horse pulling a buggy. Hailey Branson-potts, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2023 Officials said the bounty made a dent in the state’s extreme drought conditions and offered some hope for strained water supplies after three bone-dry years. Hayley Smithstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2023 In this bone-dry supernatural comedy, Clay Tatum (who also directed and co-wrote the film) and Whitmer Thomas (the other co-writer) play Clay and Whit, two old acquaintances who haven’t spoken in years. Dallas News, 23 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bone-dry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bone-dry was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near bone-dry

Cite this Entry

“Bone-dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bone-dry. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

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